Khodorkovsky: business without social responsibility has no right to exist

BERLIN, December 22, 17:39 /ITAR-TASS/. Pardoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky said at a news conference on Sunday that in the present-day society, business had no right to exist if it felt no social responsibility.

“As for a ‘turn leftwards’ and privatization, I believe that private business is always more efficient than state one. Sorry, this is my point of view,” Khodorkovsky said in reply to a journalist query about the possibility of a ‘turn leftwards’ in Russia.

“But in the present-day society, business that feels no social responsibility has no right to exist. This is also true,” he added.

Khodorkovsky said at a news conference behind closed doors in Berlin Sunday he was glad over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to pardon him.